Haiti Couleurs was a winner on his reappearance this season.

SATURDAY brings the first Grade One of the season in Haydock’s Betfair Chase (3.00pm), which offers a first clue to this campaign’s Cheltenham Gold Cup hopefuls.

Grey Dawning was second in this race last season, when run down at the finish by the ever-game Royale Pagaille in typically testing Haydock conditions.

While the ground shouldn’t be as bad this time around, the long home straight at the Merseyside track often finds out horses that have the slightest of stamina concerns.

So it proved with Grey Dawning, who looked the most likely winner until producing a tired leap at the last and emptying out on the run in.

The decision to miss the Gold Cup and instead head for the less gruelling Aintree Bowl perhaps underlines the f

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